Model Context Protocol (MCP)
AI Engineer path · lesson 80 of 124Step the MCP lifecycle, see what a server exposes (tools/resources/prompts and who controls each), watch N×M integrations collapse to N+M, and weigh the transport + security model.
Key insight
MCP standardizes the connection: a server advertises tools/resources/prompts, and any host can initialize, list, and call them over JSON-RPC. The model only decides what to call; the protocol handles discovery and transport.
The MCP connection
Fill in the two missing parts of the MCP architecture.
Tap a piece, then tap where it goes — or drag it. Tap the tray to take one back.
Host app (e.g. an IDE)
Files, APIs, databases
Test your knowledge
What does an MCP server expose to a host?
The short version
MCP is USB-C for AI tools: instead of a unique cable for every device, one standard port lets any host plug into any server's tools, data, and prompts.
In more depth
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
MCP is an open, JSON-RPC-based standard connecting LLM hosts (apps/agents) to servers exposing tools (callable functions), resources (readable data), and prompts (templates). Lifecycle: initialize handshake → discover (tools/list) → invoke (tools/call) → result. A standard interface means any host talks to any server — "USB-C for AI tools" — instead of per-integration glue. It builds on tool calling: the model still only requests the call.
Interview Questions
References & Further Reading
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